BP To Contribute $1 Million To U.S. Olympic Training Center And Paralympic Programs

Colorado Springs, Colo. – The United States Olympic Committee today announced that BP will contribute $1 million to the new Ted Stevens Sports Services Center at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. and to existing U.S. Paralympic programs.

“As a proud partner of the U.S. Olympic Committee, BP is honored to make this additional contribution on top of our existing multi-year, multi-million dollar commitment to Team USA,” said BP America Chairman and President, John Mingé. “BP’s more than 20,000 U.S. employees look forward to cheering on Team USA at the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and beyond.”

Named in honor of the late Alaska senator, the Ted Stevens Sports Services Center will be at the heart of the modernized 35-acre Colorado Springs campus and provide world-class, technically-advanced training services for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

BP has significant operations and more than 2,500 employees in Alaska and Colorado.

After construction is completed, the Sports Services Center will serve as the central hub of activity for all athletes who train, compete and reside on campus. The expanded facility will feature a new indoor agility field and weight-training area, enhanced sports medicine and recovery stations, improved physiology and altitude-training capabilities, and a new athlete-teaching kitchen. The Sports Services Center will also include new administrative meeting spaces and offices, and a multi-purpose classroom.

“I want to thank BP for this incredibly generous gift that helps our nation’s Olympic aspirations, while also honoring the Alaskan of the 20th Century, Ted Stevens,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski. “As much as Uncle Ted meant to our state and our people in helping us reach our potential, he also – through legislation, advocacy and his one-of-a-kind energy – was a national leader in boosting the profile and impact of the United States Olympic Committee. This gift lets us know that the next time we see our athletes on the medal stand, that Ted Stevens is standing alongside them.”

Having served in the U.S. Senate from 1968-2008, Stevens authored the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 and its subsequent amendments, which helped restructure the U.S. Olympic Movement in a way that has contributed to the success of America’s athletes, both on and off the field of play. Today, the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act protects individual athletes, and provides the USOC’s counsel and authority to oversee Olympic and Paralympic business in the United States.

"The Stevens family thanks BP, a long-time supporter of the USOC, for its generous contribution and support of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes and Wounded Warriors," said Catherine Stevens, wife of the late U.S. Senator and president pro tempore of the Senate. "BP's gift is vital for our amateur athletes since, as Ted reminded us: 'In almost every other nation, Olympic and amateur sports receive substantial government funding. That is not true in our country.'”

“Ted would have been so humbled to know his name would be permanently associated with the development and training of our athletes,” Stevens added. “Everything he did, from authoring the Ted Stevens Amateur Sports Act to speaking out against boycotts and ensuring security for the Games, was about nurturing the competitive spirit and giving all athletes the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Ted knew the Olympics were more than the games and pageantry -- they are about bringing people together, breaking down barriers and fostering understanding.”

In addition to supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes, the Sports Services Center also will serve as a resource for disabled veterans. Of BP’s $1 million contribution, $250,000 will be dedicated to the USOC’s existing Paralympic sports programs.

”We’re grateful for BP’s commitment to America’s elite athletes and to honoring Ted Stevens, a champion of Olympic and Paralympic sport in the U.S,” said Scott Blackmun, USOC chief executive officer. “The Stevens Sports Services Center will stand as a tribute to his leadership and will serve American athletes as they work to achieve their goal of competing at the highest levels.”

BP America first announced its sponsorship of USOC and Team USA in February 2010, and in 2011 extended its partnership with the USOC as its official energy partner through 2016. In September, BP America announced that it will sponsor six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes training for the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The company is also supporting charities of the six athletes’ choice in addition to local sports clubs that often serve as training grounds for future Olympians and Paralympians. For more on the athletes and their inspirational stories, visit the BP Team USA Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/BPTeamUSA

About the USOC
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., the U.S. Olympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. As such, the USOC is responsible for the training, entering and funding of U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, while serving as a steward of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements throughout the country. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.

About BP

Over the past five years, BP has invested more than $55 billion in the U.S. – more than any other energy company. BP is the nation’s second-largest producer of oil and gas and provides enough energy annually to light nearly the entire country for a year. Directly employing more than 20,000 people in all 50 states, BP supports more than 260,000 jobs total through all of its business activities. For more information, view our BP in the US animated video: http://bit.ly/BPFuelsAmerica13.